


Mothering Sense

by cherrysprite



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Bisexuality, Coming Out, Falling In Love, Family, Family Feels, Feel-good, Feels, First Kiss, First Meetings, Friendship, Good Theo Raeken, Homosexuality, Hurt Theo Raeken, Jenna is Amazing, Liam Dunbar's Mother's Name is Jenna, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mother-Son Relationship, Motherhood, POV Jenna, Past Liam Dunbar/Hayden Romero, Werewolf Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:55:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22977259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrysprite/pseuds/cherrysprite
Summary: When Jenna brought her first and only son into the world, a beautiful baby boy who she named Liam Eugene Dunbar who she loved from the second she found out she was pregnant, it was natural for her after that. After the brief difficulty of getting used tohavinga baby, really wrapping her head around that the little ball of warmth in her arms was her son, she and everyone else knew she was going to be good at this. Even though there was no father in the picture and little Liam took his mother's maiden name instead, everyone knew that Jenna was a fighter, and Liam would be too. He had those Dunbar-blue eyes and blondish hair to back it up.The mothering instinct, the "Mothering Sense," started to kick in even before she brought him back to the house her, her mother, father, youngest sister, and now Liam were living in, and as her mom gushed, she took to being a mom like a fish to water. While it was certainly confusing at times, Jenna eventually learned what all those barely-different high-pitched cries meant, and that stayed the same as Liam grew older.Or, some of Jenna's experiences as a mother and raising little Liam because Emma really really really wanted to write a female character again :,)
Relationships: Liam Dunbar's Mother/Dr. Geyer, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Comments: 14
Kudos: 143





	Mothering Sense

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably full of mistakes because it was written over several months, so please forgive me :,)

When she was growing up, like a lot of girls, Jenna Dunbar couldn't wait to have a baby. She had grown up with a lot of women in her life, her mother and father having five sisters in all, and Jenna, being the first of that generation of her family, got to see each of her cousins come into the world and was a part of their lives just as much as anyone else. 

One thing they all told her that didn't make her baby fever quell in the slightest was what they called the 'Mothering Sense.' "A mother just knows," her Aunt Lizzie had told her when she was twelve when Jenna asked her how she was able to understand her kids' babbling without any difficulty. "It's like that when they're older, too. You're just able to tell, after awhile. Babbling or not," and none of the other moms in the room, or ever, for that matter, had ever told her anything different.

So when Jenna brought her first and only son into the world, a beautiful baby boy who she named Liam Eugene Dunbar who she loved from the second she found out she was pregnant, it was natural for her after that. After the brief difficulty of getting used to _having_ a baby, really wrapping her head around that the little ball of warmth in her arms was _her_ son, she and everyone else knew she was going to be good at this. Even though there was no father in the picture and little Liam took his mother's maiden name instead, everyone knew that Jenna was a fighter, and Liam would be too. He had those Dunbar-blue eyes and blondish hair to back it up.

The mothering instinct, the "Mothering Sense," started to kick in even before she brought him back to the house her, her mother, father, youngest sister, and now Liam were living in, and as Mary Dunbar, her mom, gushed, she took to being a mom like a fish to water. While it was certainly confusing at times, Jenna eventually learned what all those barely-different high-pitched cries meant, and that stayed the same as Liam grew older.

One of the first times Jenna could recall in this day and age feeling like she really knew was when Liam was five years old and starting to be around other kids a lot more now that he was starting kindergarten. She had read on all of the various mommy blogs she followed that different mothers were afraid that their kids were going to have a hard time making friends, since they weren't sure how social they could really be, but Jenna wasn't worried.

About a week before Liam was set to start school, she took him to the park near the daycare Liam used to go to when she was in her teaching position at work, happy to have the summer off with her son and wanting their last few days together to be fun. There were other kids there with their moms and dads like always, all probably with the same idea to soak up the sun a little, and Liam had no issue with walking right over to the sand pit, regardless of the fact that there were a bunch of unfamiliar kids around. Jenna sat down on one of the benches and took her phone out, but kept her eyes on Liam.

However, in the two seconds she had looked away to see who was texting her, another boy had stumbled over to the sand pit and plopped himself down next to Liam, the two of them playing separately but just fine with some toy cars that someone left in the pit. She smiled softly to herself - and then the other kid picked up a bunch of sand in two little hands and specifically dumped it on Liam's overall-covered knee.

"Mason!" A man squawked indignantly. "Don't do that!" He sighed, and said sand-dumper looked up at who must be his father with a little grin. 

For a second of fear, Jenna was afraid Liam was going to pitch a fit, but he just giggled in his little Liam way. Mason snapped back to look at Liam and he smiled too, letting Liam pick up his own handfuls of sand to put on Mason. It was Jenna's turn to sigh. "Liam!" She called from the bench. "No."

Both of the boys broke out into laughter and began to talk quickly about their cars and each other's names, brushing sand off of each other, and Mason's father shook his head slowly before turning to look at Jenna on the bench. "I'm sorry about your son's clothes," He said apologetically, taking the spot next to her. "I don't think he's quite gotten that you can't introduce yourself in _that_ big of a way."

"Oh, that's fine, we can always wash it. Liam does get it, he just does it anyway," She laughed, brushing a piece of her hair off her forehead in the sticky heat. "I'm Jenna."

"David," The man said. "Your Liam's mother? He looks just like you."

Jenna smiled. "Yes. You're Mason's...?"

"Uncle," David supplied. "He's my brother's. I don't have any of my own, I just like to watch him when I'm not on the clock. Don't have much of a predictable schedule."

"Oh?"

"I work at the hospital," David said. "I'm a surgeon's assistant now, but I'm working towards being a full-time doctor. Trauma and emergencies, mostly."

Jenna nodded. "That's very respectable. I'd say I hope to see you around, but...maybe not there..." They shared a laugh.

"Well, it looks like we might be seeing a lot more of each other anyway," David said, motioning to Liam and Mason, who were sprinting towards them with big grins on their faces, ready to introduce each other to their families as fast friends. 

So after how easily it happened with Mason, Jenna wasn't too worried. Her son was kind and intelligent even as a five year old about other people, and she had no doubt that he'd find even more friends once he started school.

The only thing that Jenna hadn't seen coming at the time was David being the man she married when Liam and Mason were fifteen. She had a _mothering_ sense, not a dating one.

+++

Jenna knew something was up with Liam, and not only because of their setting. When Liam was fourteen years old, a simple hangout with his best friend started normally and then ended up with the three of them sitting down at the dining room table. Jenna wasn't sure what it was about, but she did know that it was serious. Those two were _never_ formal like this.

"I just want to start out by saying that Liam isn't in trouble and he has literally nothing to do with this, before you start getting concerned," Mason said. That boy really did know her just as well as her own son did. "He's just here for moral support."

"'Moral support?'" Jenna asked patiently, folding her hands on the table. That didn't do anything to make her any less nervous, but she stayed quiet. Mason looked like he was about ready to run and was already sweating. She wasn't going to upstage him.

"Yeah," Mason replied faintly, chewing on his bottom lip. Jenna had watched as he sucked in a deep breath, closing his eyes tight before squaring his shoulders and leveling out his expression. "I just wanted to tell you, as someone I trust and spend a lot of time with, something important. Something that I've figured out recently and I think that you should know because I thought you might want to and it feels weird not to tell you since you know literally everything else about me-"

"Mase," Liam piped up gently from next to him, and Jenna looked at him, analyzing his expression quickly. He looked at Mason supportively and encouragingly. _Oh_. Jenna started to realize what this might be about. "Breathe."

Mason took another breath, and Jenna returned her full attention to him. A hesitant smile came over his face. "I wanted to tell you that I'm gay," Mason said, and this time, when he took a breath, he held it. 

It was needless to say that about a million things took over Jenna's mind and heart at once. The first one being the overwhelming warm feeling of pride that filled her chest that Mason had just come out to her, how proud she was of him for telling her so strongly and at all, for being so brave. She was proud of her son for standing by his best friend to tell her, and helping him through it so gracefully and perfectly, letting Mason say what he needed to and just that. On the other side of her pride, there was the deep, cold regret that Mason was afraid, and she wished she knew what made him feel that way. If it wasn't just the natural fear of coming out, she wished she knew what she had done to make him think that it wasn't one hundred percent safe to come out to her so she could correct it and never do it again.

She couldn't voice any of those, it wasn't her time. Instead, she reached out, detaching her hands from each other to place one over the one Mason had tapping on the table. "It's okay," was all she said, but Mason didn't stop tensing until he saw the smile that she finally let split her face. "I'm so proud of you for telling me. Just know that you're safe here, now and forever."

But in the midst of Mason starting to talk again, Jenna had to pretend not to notice Liam trying to hide a sigh of relief that sounded so much heavier than being just for Mason's benefit. It took everything in her not to look directly at her son, not wanting to scare or embarrass him in any way, because out of the corner of her eye, she could see him looking at the table and chewing on his lip like he did when he got nervous. She felt then like a lead ball was rolling and settling in the pit of her stomach. _Why was he nervous?_

"I'm sorry if that makes things weird for you now since I hang around Liam so much and we've slept over with each other and everything," Mason was saying, but Jenna shook her head. She tried to argue, but he kept going. "It's just that I didn't feel right not telling you."

"Mason. It's okay. I promise. It's not any different than it was before you told me, or before you knew. I'm just so proud of you that you came to me about this."

"Thank you," Mason breathed, putting his head down on the table, and Jenna rubbed his hair affectionately. 

"Now," She said, standing up and trying to act as though everything was normal even as she was more frazzled than she thought she'd ever been, "You want a snack? I have the good cheese and good crackers."

Later that night, after dinner, she waited for Liam to come down from his room like he always did to come get a cup of water and another snack, but instead of working on her own blog, she was deep in thought. She'd just hated how absolutely wrecked Liam was about the whole thing that had gone on, and she knew it wasn't because of Mason. She just needed a way to tell him that if _he_ was gay, or _anything_ that wasn't all that he was telling her, he would be safe at home, but she didn't know how to do that without making it seem like she suspected something.

Liam was coming downstairs, though, and she decided then that Liam knowing he was free to be who he was was much more important than a possible suspicion, even if it set it him back a little bit from telling her. A setback was better than him never telling her at all.

She followed him into the kitchen as casually as she could, which wasn't hard. With their slightly more complicated life, she'd gotten used to smoothly starting the important talks. Not that it was easy. "Hey, Li?" She started, and Liam looked at her while he filled his cup at the tap, and he was a smart kid, so she was able to see the moment it dawned on him that they were about to have a conversation. 

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say that I'm really proud of you today," Jenna said, leaning on the counter and giving a small smile. Liam uncharacteristically couldn't make eye contact, looked at the floor, and nodded instead. Yeah, something was definitely up, but they would cross that bridge when they got to it. "I'm proud of you for being there for Mason. You're a good friend for that."

"I didn't want him to have to do it alone, and you _are_ my mom," he mumbled, taking a sip of water but still not meeting her eyes. Jenna grinned.

After a pregnant pause, Jenna decided to ask about as carefully as she could her next question. "Did you...when Mason figured it out, did you happen to...be a part of that? It's okay if you did," She rushed the last part. Liam's eyes flew open wide.

"What? No! I'm not, I don't-" He stammered, and Jenna held up her hands to show it was really alright. "No. Mason's, like, basically my cousin."

"Okay," She said. "Just know that I meant what I said before. Everyone is welcome in this home, whether they're friends or family. No matter what."

"Okay, Mom," Liam mumbled, and Jenna smiled.

"Alright, I'll let you go. Goodnight."

Liam seemed relieved to get out of there, but Jenna didn't blame him. There wasn't much else she could do after that besides wait. She had gotten her point across, and she knew everything she needed to for the time being. She could tell Liam hadn't been lying when he said he hadn't been a part of Mason's realization, not that that mattered. If Liam and Mason did have something going on, it didn't matter what was happening with her and David. As much as she loved him, Liam came first, and she and David would both understand. She would have sacrificed it for her son.

But all she could do for awhile, as said before, was wait and take notice. Liam did warm up, and after awhile of avoiding the topic of LGBT altogether, he started participating in conversations about it and let his guard down enough to show his support. Jenna noticed then how his eyes seemed to light up when she said something supportive about it, and the same went for when they passed a gay couple on the street when they were walking together. His eyes always seemed to linger for just a second, but not negatively at all. Even more was how he looked at the boys on his lacrosse team and other activities; he looked at a boy named Asher and another named Mike in the same way he looked at Jessica and Nadine, two girls who he'd openly told her he had a crush on.

And sure enough, her mothering sense was right again. About a year after Mason came out to her, she found herself sitting at the dining room table again in the same spot, but this time, it was Liam's turn. Her boy was as brave as Mason had been and told her that he was bisexual, and even though she had known deep down, nothing could have prepared her for how proud she was of him.

+++

Liam brought home his first girlfriend a few weeks after he came out as bi to her, and Jenna really wanted to like her. She really, really did, considering how much Liam had talked about this girl and gushed over her every time there was an opening, but over the course of their relationship, from their history to her son's newfound infatuation to when they were finally together, Jenna just couldn't, and she didn't know why. She just couldn't wrap her head around what was so special about this girl that Liam was talking about, and at first, she had assumed that it was because she had never seen them together. Maybe there was some undeniable spark that she wasn't getting through what Liam was describing, even in all its overthought-detail, or some type of connection that would be clear to see.

There wasn't, though, no matter how much Jenna wanted there to be. 

There was nothing wrong with Hayden, as far as she could see, really. She was a perfectly nice girl who was in advanced classes and involved in sports and clubs, well-rounded and intelligent, and kind, while she was at it. She had her opinions when she felt like sharing them, and she stuck to them, a woman much like Jenna herself, and she was never disrespectful or rude. She was sure that any other mother would be thrilled that their dear son brought a girl like this home. Any other mother would start fantasizing about her future daughter in law and a pretty ring on a pretty finger when they met Hayden Romero in that context. Jenna just couldn't.

She knew about mothers who got jealous of their son's girlfriends, since they were taking time away from them and adding to their sons' lives as grown-ups, but Jenna knew this wasn't it. It became clear just a little while into their relationship that Hayden Romero was going to break Liam's heart, and there was nothing she could do about it.

All Jenna could do was sit back and watch her son fall more and more in love with Hayden while Hayden seemingly stayed the same. She couldn't even wonder if it was just Hayden who didn't show her love in the same way that Liam did. While every time she came over to their house, Liam seemed to have some new look of adoration in his eyes that grew stronger as time went on, her's never changed. She never got comfortable with being there or with Liam at all, not the way Liam did. There just wasn't the same love in Hayden for him than there was in Liam for her. Liam's was apparent, present in every move he made. Hayden just didn't have it.

Of course, Jenna could never tell Liam that. As much as it pained her to see him getting more and more invested into something that seemed more like it was going to fall apart with every day that passed, she had to let it play out the way it was meant to go. She couldn't meddle in Liam's life, no matter how much she wanted to.

So she let it play out. She encouraged Liam as much as she possibly could when he asked her for advice on what she might like or what they should do, playing the role that she needed to at that point: mother, not all-knowing. He took her to homecoming and she told him how cute they were together, matching navy blue tie and dress, and she drove them places when they had dates. She was there to listen to long-winded stories about what they'd done that day and she saw all of the relics of it, like a strip of photos from a booth at the mall, but a sick feeling stayed in her stomach every time she thought of what he was getting himself into. As much as she hoped that it would work out between them, she knew that Hayden wasn't nearly as all-in as Liam was from the get go.

When Jenna had been proud of her parental instincts before, happy to have proven them to herself again, it wasn't the same when Liam came into the house without a word and went straight up to his room silently, the familiar happy look that had been present ever since he and Hayden got together wiped clean off. She didn't want to be right. Jenna had never wanted to be more wrong than she did then.

Pictures were deleted off his Instagram and she found the photo strip in the trash before Liam finally told her about what had happened, that Hayden had broken up with him. She was planning to leave town with her sister, but not far enough away that they wouldn't ever see each other, but it didn't stop her from rejecting him when he suggested they could withstand long distance. "She said that it wouldn't work," Liam said, sniffling as he tried to hold his tears back. "But that's not the worst part. She said that it just wasn't right with us." 

Jenna held him tightly as he asked himself and her over and over again what that even meant, if the relationship had even meant anything to Hayden to begin with, lucky that Liam couldn't see the stony, firm look on her face at letting her son get hurt this way.

But she did what she had to do. She acted like she knew as much as Liam, nothing, which was what he needed. Liam didn't need someone to confirm those doubts. He needed his mom to listen, and that was exactly what she did.

+++

There was another time, but Jenna kind of wasn't sure if it was her Mothering Sense or if it was the fact that she wasn't a total idiot. Maybe Liam got away with keeping secrets and making excuses to other people who didn't know him as well as she did, but Jenna knew his biggest one two years before he finally told her about it. 

She had to give Liam some credit, she guessed. He'd been able to hide the fact that he was a, excuse Jenna's french, not that she really cared, _motherfucking_ _werewolf_ , an otherworldly creature that most didn't know existed outside of storybooks, for two whole months before she found out. And yes, it was a hell of a shock, but it also explained so much. 

But to give Jenna some credit, she hadn't even needed to piece it together. Never in her wildest dreams would she have figured that out on her own. She should have had to do some serious snooping to do that, and she hate, hate, hated the idea of going through Liam's phone, but she didn't have to do much at all.

Jenna had gotten in trouble before for writing things down, like where she hid the key to her locked diary for her brother to accidentally find and take advantage of, but what Liam did really did have to take the cake. Jenna wrote down that her key was under her beanbag chair, not the entire existence of a supernatural _species_. All it took was Jenna deciding to vacuum Liam's room while he was at lacrosse practice for her to stumble upon an open, messy notebook with a bunch of weird terms written in it. 

At first she had looked out of idle interest because she thought that it was a science project or something, but she was fairly certain that no science project had words like "werewolf" and "alpha, beta, omega" or whatever the hell a Kanima or Kitsune was. After that, she just thought with a great sense of bewilderment that it was some type of kinky fanfiction that she definitely didn't want to think about in her son's search history, but there were names attached to the labels. Names of kids from school, Scott, Stiles, Kira, Lydia, Malia, people he knew, and no erotica should have the names of his friends attached to it.

Liam really should have locked up this notebook if he was going to take extensive notes in it. 

For the first time in Jenna's history of a Mom, she snooped, and though she hated herself while she was doing it, she was a little more focused on trying to understand what she was seeing. He had taken pictures, ripped out pages from books. All of the evidence was there, as far as she could tell, and everything started to make sense: the disappearing late at night, missing school and games, the sudden influx of new friends, how in the world his ankle had healed so quickly after he'd twisted it that night. 

Her son was a werewolf.

Jenna was honestly more willing to assume that Liam was on drugs, honestly.

That had been one of the hardest things she'd ever had to get used to, and for a long time, she wasn't able to look at Liam the same way at all, not when she knew about his status as a beta werewolf and that he had a real-life, not-science-fiction pack and an alpha, and boy did that make going to his lacrosse games awkward now that she knew who Scott McCall actually was.

But Jenna had meant what she'd said about always being safe and free in her house, so she didn't say anything. She just hugged Liam extra tight before he went to bed and before he went out, since there was now the increased risk that she wouldn't see her baby boy back alive once he stepped out of the house. "Be safe," She told him every time, and while he looked genuinely confused, he always hugged her back and promised he would. He was mature enough and knew enough about the risk to be serious when he said it. He just didn't know that they were talking about the same things.

Naturally, there was no chance for Liam to sit down and talk to Jenna about it, and Jenna was pretty sure that Liam may have gone many years or forever without telling her if he had a choice. She only had all of it laid out and confirmed when Liam showed up at home one night at midnight, his jacket covered in dried blood and his shirt torn up, looking more scared and resigned than he ever had at the age of seventeen.

"Hey, Mom," He croaked, tears coming to his eyes, looking from her to the boy standing next to him. "I think it's time we talked."

Jenna had cried in front of her son before, but she normally tried to keep up a brave face for him. That night, however, she cried in front of two boys who had seen more in the first two decades of their lives than Jenna would ever see, not because of them, but for them.

That night, she met all of Liam, and met Theo Raeken.

+++

"Jenna, I'm not..." Theo had struggled to say when she invited, more like softly demanded, that Theo move into their spare room when she found out the nineteen year old was homeless. "I'm not a good person."

She was holding Theo's hands, each of them on different sides of the kitchen island, while Liam was asleep that night. They spoke in hushed tones, the hanging light above them reflecting the shininess in Theo's eyes, but Jenna didn't drop his hands.

In front of her, Jenna didn't see a boy who wasn't _good_. Yes, she saw a boy with issues, trauma and problems so deeply embedded under his skin and into his bones that he looked positively tired with it, but not what Theo said he was. Though she knew the crimes he had committed, the unforgivable deeds he'd done, she knew that she wasn't standing in her kitchen with the same person. Theo didn't carry himself with secrets; he was used to everyone knowing what he'd done, and he didn't try and hide it from her, not now that he sensed her trying to get close to him. She didn't see a murderer; she saw a boy who needed help but wouldn't take it, one who wasn't quiet before now and just needed someone to open him up again, but he was trying to push her away with the past.

"I know what you did before," Jenna said gently, rubbing Theo's knuckles with her thumbs carefully. She had seen kids like this while she was teaching; she couldn't be too soft without Theo shutting down, but he needed as much as he could take. "But I can't agree."

"Your son hates me," He said instead, a bit of bitter humor creeping into his voice. "I don't blame him, he should. I can't get in his way, and I won't."

"No, he doesn't," Jenna said sincerely, and she watched as Theo's eyes fell down to her chest. She knew how they could hear heartbeats, and she wasn't lying. "I know he doesn't. He can try and tell you he does, but when he talks about you, there's nothing there. He tries, he does, but he can't convince me."

"I think he's punched me enough times for it to be clear," Theo snorted.

The corner of Jenna's mouth quirked up a little, but she didn't let her serious expression fall. "I know it's hard," She started. "But...trust me on this one. He doesn't hate you. Stay with us." Theo stayed silent, and Jenna took a deep breath. "Even if it's just for tonight, Theo. It's cold tonight. Don't go sleep in your truck, please."

It had taken a lot of convincing in the morning, and she means a _lot_ of convincing, but she managed to get Theo to stay.

She set him up in the guest room across from Liam's and gave him extra, soft blankets and pillows and his own toothbrush to keep in the bathroom, trying her hardest not to acknowledge the confusion written across Theo's features at it all. It was like he couldn't quite believe that someone was doing this for him, and it made her all the more determined to keep him there. As long as she was able, Theo wouldn't be back out on the streets.

As for Liam, she knew that her son didn't hate him, one of the reasons Theo was able to stay. Heartbeats didn't lie, and neither did she. Whatever there was between Theo and her son, Jenna knew it wasn't hatred, far from it. While she wasn't sure what it was just yet, she knew it was more complicated than that from the way Liam talked about him. After all, if Liam didn't care about Theo at all, would he have brought Theo to their house after the fight and let him stay the night then?

Jenna woke up early the next morning so she could catch Liam, knowing that he would be able to tell right away that Theo was there. As soon as she heard him stir upstairs, she crept up and knocked on his door lightly, not to wake Theo up. Liam opened it and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, standing in the doorway, already confused. "Is...?"

"Yes," Jenna said right away. Liam blinked at her, and based on the way his face changed the slightest bit, Jenna thought his heartbeat would have bumped if she was able to hear it. "I told him to stay."

"...Okay," Liam said slowly, trying to wrap his head around it. "Why?"

"I don't know if you knew this, but Theo's been living on his own for awhile...in his truck," Jenna said. Liam took in a sharp breath, and she nodded, understanding how he was feeling. "It was cold last night. I didn't want him to be back out there. Last night, or any other night for that matter. I want him to stay."

"No, I get that," Liam said, nodding and now wide-awake. "What's the problem?"

Jenna sucked in a breath, wondering how to put it. "He thinks you hate him," was what she went with, and Liam's eyes widened.

Behind her, a door opened, and Theo stepped into the hallway. Jenna looked at him warmly, brushing a piece of her hair out of her eyes, but Theo's eyes were focused on Liam. "Good morning, Theo-"

"I don't hate you," Liam said, sounding almost hurt, the two of them standing across from each other in near-silence. Theo's worried expression softened into something much more confused and unidentified, and Jenna smiled. Of course he didn't.

Not letting the silence go on any longer, Jenna rubbed her hands together. "How do pancakes sound?"

+++

Having Theo around was natural. It was kind of like how Mason had entered their lives; it went slow at first, everyone learning boundaries and what worked for each other, but it was slightly different with Theo. It was definitely more challenging with Theo, considering what a past he had, but eventually, he began to fit into the family like he was there from the beginning. Awkward first days turned into clumsy first weeks that turned into bumpy first months, but things got smoother as time went on. The Dunbar-Geyers got used to having a Raeken with them, and more importantly, the Raeken got used to having a place to come back to at the end of the day.

Nothing was ever formally discussed with them, the same way it had been when he moved in, making the transition from house guest to permanent resident just a little easier, and the same went for Theo and Liam's friendship. Jenna used to worry when they fought, but she didn't much anymore. It always seemed to be about trivial things that didn't really matter and got resolved on its own, and even when the arguments became more important, they always bounced back. Sure, maybe it was out of their stubbornness to make it seem like nothing was wrong that let them ignore the problem until it went away, but it worked all the same.

Jenna wasn't entirely sure when she realized that Theo and Liam were actually, truly friends, but she did know that something was different about the way her son acted around Theo. Maybe he was a clumsy guy, but he was even worse when he was around Theo, nervous, even. He was also a lot more thoughtful about what he said to him and tried extra hard to make him laugh.

It didn't take an idiot to see it. Jenna knew the exact moment she realized her son was in love with Theo, and she knew the exact moment Liam realized it. 

It was important to note that these moments were several months apart. Jenna's realization came with a movie. Jenna and Liam had been doing movie nights for years, and a few rules had come over the weekly event as time passed: no sauces on the couch after Liam made a mess, no phones until there was a break, and they could only watch Back To The Future once every two months.

Back To The Future was Liam's favorite movie since he was a kid, but it was played out in their house and everyone but Liam seemed to agree. Jenna and David were pretty sure that they could recite the whole thing from memory with how many times they saw it, and eventually, letting Liam pick the movie turned into an endless loop of Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd. Jenna and David had incited the 6 weeks a year rule, which seemed fair to them, so that they would only have to sit through Back To The Future six times every year. Liam could watch it more on his own.

Theo had been a part of six movie nights by then, and it was Liam's second time picking. "I think we all know what time it is," Liam said, reaching into the cabinet under the TV to grab the overused DVD. Jenna and David sighed, and Theo raised an eyebrow. 

"Is this a thing?" Theo asked. "Is this a thing with you I don't know about? Back To The Future?"

Jenna had groaned in that instant, looking over at Theo sympathetically. "It's not worth the fight, I promise. He does this every time."

"You pick one movie every single time?" Theo asked skeptically, and Liam folded his arms. "You've never considered watching any other movie with your pick?"

Jenna braced herself. She was expecting a flat no and for Liam to shove the disk in the player as always, but it didn't come. Instead, Liam smirked. "What did you have in mind, then?"

David had looked at her in that instance with wide eyes, and Jenna mirrored them. With Hayden, Mason, and anyone else Liam hung around with, it had been some big argument that always ended with Back To The Future anyway. That night they found themselves watching The Breakfast Club, Liam's parents both in too much shock to really be taking anything in. 

That was how Jenna knew for sure there was something different about Liam and Theo, and she should have noticed it before. If the heart eyes and constant clinginess and the determination to get Theo to do things with him weren't enough, she figured it out over a movie. 

They _were_ sitting pretty close, now that she thought about it.

What was even better was when she knew Liam knew it too.

Months after the Great Movie Incident (where they had watched Back To The Future a total of zero times in the time that had passed, three less than they were due to), Jenna was teaching Theo how to cook. She had asked him if he was interested in it a few weeks earlier when she'd noticed he'd been lurking around the kitchen even if he wasn't hungry, just to watch. She'd ask him if he wanted a snack or anything while he was waiting, to which he politely declined, but he'd stay in the kitchen anyway, just watching. She found it amusing the way he seemed to analyze every spice she put in and watched intently as she stirred the sauces, so it hadn't taken long for him to start helping himself.

"I always kind of wished Liam would help me in the kitchen sometimes," Jenna chuckled as she started washing her hands to prepare dinner that night. "I'm glad I've got somebody."

"I like it," Theo said honestly, and Jenna grinned. Theo didn't show interest in many things, and it was a nice change when he did. That was why she liked letting him cook so much. That, and that he seemed to be a natural talent who admittedly made her own dishes better sometimes. _Sometimes_. "What are we making tonight?"

"I don't know. I was thinking you could choose something," Jenna said, motioning to her little box of recipes. She had them all on index cards in a wooden box that her mother had given her, some old recipes and some new. Theo hadn't been the one to choose any of them yet, so he looked a little lost when he opened the lid. "You have anything in mind?"

Theo bit his lip. "What's something that Liam likes?" He asked, looking up at her. He immediately glanced back down when Jenna raised an eyebrow. "What? I want to know what he likes, I want to be able to...cook...for him..." He trailed, realizing he was making it worse. "Okay, nevermind, you pick, forget it."

"Spaghetti and meat sauce," Jenna answered, trying to keep her smile to herself at how red Theo had turned. She wasn't sure she had ever seen him do that, or if she thought he was even capable of it. "That's his favorite. I don't make it often, but if you want to learn how to cook for him..."

"Shush," Theo groaned. Jenna smirked. They'd never talked about it, since she was sure Theo would bolt if she ever brought it up, but she was pretty sure that they had the mutual silent agreement on what Theo felt and to never, ever bring it up. "Do we have all this stuff?" He asked, looking at the card.

"Yeah, it should all be in the fridge and pantry. I'll get the water boiling."

Twenty minutes later, while the sauce was simmering, Liam came downstairs excitedly. "Are you making-?"

"Spaghetti?" Theo finished, flashing a grin at him as he stirred the sauce around. Liam beamed. "Yes. Wolf Cub's favorite, huh?"

"Don't call me that," Liam muttered under his breath, kicking at the floor, but everyone could see the big smile on his face. 

"Wolf Cub," Theo teased, "You love that, Wolf Cub!"

"Stop!" Liam groaned, and the two of them burst into laughter, seemingly forgetting that Jenna was there. She smiled to herself and tasted the sauce, trying not to be too obvious that she could see Theo flirting with her son. Like she said, it was a silent understanding.

Theo shoved him on the shoulder with one hand, sending Liam a bit backwards, and Jenna wanted to laugh. Liam could have held himself steady if he wanted to, but of course he didn't. He was loose when he was around Theo in a way he wasn't with anyone else. It was only a matter of time before he figured it out himself, she thought.

She was right. Not a second later, while Liam was staring at the floor and grinning to himself, his smile fell in an instant and he scowled, thinking. The "oh shit" look on his face was priceless, so much that Jenna wanted to take a picture, but Liam was heading upstairs a second later after a flighty glance at Theo.

Dinner that night was enough to confirm it, considering the way Liam kept looking at Theo and flitting away quicker than he'd begun. It was cute. Jenna just wondered how Liam hadn't realized what he felt before.

Liam didn't come to talk to her about it, but after that, it didn't take long at all. Things with Theo and Liam became even more intense and obvious. If the flirting hadn't been right in front of her before, it certainly was now: they were always sitting next to each other on the couch, so close that entire sides of their bodies were pressed together, feet touching under the table, little compliments, and stealing each other's clothes. A lot of that was Liam's doing, but Theo certainly wasn't complaining. "They might as well be dating!" Jenna cried one night, pacing around, when Theo and Liam were out of the house so she was free to talk about it without the two werewolves overhearing. 

"I know, are we sure they aren't?" David asked more calmly, but still as interested. He'd walked in on some weird situations more times than he could count, and he was wondering just as much as Jenna.

"No, no, Liam's too bad of a liar and he can't keep secrets. We'd know if they were already together," Jenna sighed, waving him off. 

"They fell asleep together on the couch last night," David said. "We used to do that before we were dating. You remember that?"

Jenna paused in her tracks. "Yeah," She said softly, smiling. "And you know what my mother said?"

"'One of them needs to get their shit together and kiss the other?'" David finished, nodding. "I remember. She told me at our wedding. Drunk as all Hell, but she was right."

"We just have to wait to find out who's gonna be the Jenna in this situation," Jenna said. 

"Uh, what? I kissed you first!" David squawked.

"No you didn't! You met me in the middle, I went in first!" This was an argument they had all the time, but David always acted like it was a new revelation every time. David laughed and Jenna fell down on the couch next to him. "We'll probably be in our fifties by the time they finally kiss," Jenna sighed. "We'll just have to wait."

"And watch Liam and Theo be miserable and confused all the time? Yay," David cheered sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, their skulls are too thick. They're both too smart for this."

Evidently, Theo turned out to be the smarter one, although Jenna and David had kind of figured that would be the case.

Jenna had waited up for Theo and Liam to come home from the diner after they'd decided to go with Mason and Corey and David had gone to bed, and Jenna didn't regret it. She was leaning over the counter with a cup of coffee in one hand and her phone in the other, reading an article about LGBT youth, as usual, when she heard the door open. She glanced through the doorway to see Liam coming in alone, hands in his pockets and looking at the floor, but it wasn't enough to hide the grin on his face that he was trying to stop by biting his lip. "Hey..." Jenna said curiously. Liam stopped in his tracks. "How was it?"

Liam ran a hand through his hair and thought for a second before nodding, still grinning way too widely to be at all convincing. "It was good," was all he said before he headed towards the stairs, spinning slightly in place. Jesus Christ.

Jenna didn't have to wait too long for Theo to come in next, the chimera appearing in the kitchen soon after she heard Liam's door shut. Instead of heading right to his room, Theo lingered in the kitchen for awhile, leaning in the doorway. Jenna looked at him through the reflection in the window over the counter. "Hey," Theo said quietly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. 

"Hey," Jenna said, trying to keep up a casual tone of voice like she had with Liam. "How was the diner?"

"Oh, good, it was good," Theo said like he was surprised she asked, responding more tactfully than Liam had. "The food was good. Not better than yours, but good."

"That's good," Jenna replied. There was a beat of silence, and Jenna turned all the way around and leaned back on the counter on her hands. "So-"

"I kissed Liam," Theo blurted out, immediately turning red and standing up straight, no longer leaning. "On the front step. After Mason dropped us off." He bit his bottom lip and looked at Jenna for her response almost desperately, and it took everything in her soul to keep from doing a million different things that would embarrass him. A huge sigh of relief or big smile right off the bat or an "about time!" probably wouldn't go over well.

"...And?" Jenna said slowly, looking at him.

Theo couldn't hold it back anymore. He gasped out the breath he was holding and smiled wider than she'd ever seen him, putting both of his hands on the back of his head. "And he kissed me back," He breathed. "I don't...know what's gonna happen now? But I..." He trailed off, taking in a deep breath. "I did that?"

"You did," Jenna agreed, still trying not to jump around the kitchen in excitement, but there was nothing stopping her smile now. "How do you feel?"

"Honestly?" Theo said, "Like I might die. But...in a good way?"

"I understand that," Jenna said, and Theo grinned at her thankfully. "Now, I'm pretty sure that Liam is up in his room screaming into a pillow right now, so you should probably go get him."

Theo nodded enthusiastically. "Will do."

"But no funny business!" Jenna called as he made his way up the stairs, shaking her head to herself. 

She was happy to go up to her room a few minutes later, and David wasn't even mad to be shaken awake that late at night. "What is it?" He mumbled.

"They kissed," Jenna said excitedly, sliding into bed next to her husband and into his arms. _"Finally."_

+++

Ever since Liam was born, Jenna had that mothering sense. It came naturally to her, just like it did for her mother and her aunts, and it's helped her through so much of Liam's life. While she only had one baby when most of the women in her family had a few more, it made no difference; it was there all the same, and Liam was the young man he was today because of it.

At the end of the day, when she looked at her son and the life he has, she felt proud, as she should. She tried her hardest to do everything she could for him, and she still does to this day, even though Liam turned eighteen two months ago and was well on his way to making a life for himself. He was accepted into his top pick of a university, planning to study history and artifacts, and was one of the key members of a powerful, near-invincible pack that he was set to inherit one day. He had his entire life ahead of him, and it was looking to be a great one.

Just like other things, Jenna had no doubt that he was going to have a good life. He was careful in every way he needed to be but carefree when he could be, considering the life he lived, a good balance for moving onto bigger things in a dangerous world. He was intelligent, but never let that get in the way of his kindness and connection to other people. Maybe Jenna was a little biased, but she was confident that she had made a pretty perfect kid. She'd never ask for anything different.

While it hurt that Liam would be moving out soon, taking Theo with him as he went, she was also excited to see where things would go for him in his adult life. He hadn't started looking for places yet, but she was sure that that was the next step, especially considering the plans that Theo had with him.

Theo, oh, Theo. Theo, the boy she had taken into her home like her own, was going to leave too, but she wasn't worried about either of them. Theo was levelheaded and balanced Liam out just perfectly to make their relationship work, and it certainly had; two long years of being together wasn't even the only example. They were natural, perfect together, and Jenna knew nothing was going to drive them apart.

So, no. Jenna had no doubt that Liam was going to thrive in his life. He had his career and education in the bag, and the one thing he needed otherwise was being taken care of right outside.

They'd hosted a barbeque that day to celebrate Liam's graduation from high school and acceptance into college, and the embers of the fire pit were just barely dying out after the guests had left. Jenna could still smell coal smoke drifting into the kitchen through the window, even now that the sky was dark and the stars were out on that June night. 

She watched intently through the glass doors, out of sight of Theo and Liam, who were still outside, sipping a glass of water and waiting. A week earlier, Theo had showed her the ring, and she had been counting on this moment ever since then.

Jenna knew that Liam was going to be happy, since Theo was down on one knee, holding his hands in his own, and all was right with the world.

And just as she'd known, Liam said yes before Theo even got finished talking.

She knew her son. Of _course_ he would.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!
> 
> As you may have noticed, my username has changed from Sweetest_Thiam to cherrysprite! Don't get me wrong, Thiam is still my main and favorite ship to write, but I decided to change it so my account would seem a little more open to other things, too. Also I just really like Shirley Temples with cherry juice. Hope there wasn't too much confusion!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated! Let me know how you feel about Jenna, since I haven't written her much. I might do more in the future :)
> 
> \- Emma (aka cherrysprite) <3


End file.
